Alfred nobel



A. NOBEL. OLLOW SHAPTS, GUNS, 0R OTHER SIMILAR METALLIC ARTICLES.

Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

(No Model.)

MEGHANISM FOR PORGI'NG H UNiTan Srnrns Arent* `FMEQ n ALFRED NOBEL, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

IYIECHNISM FOR FORGING HOLLOW SHAIfTS, GUNS, 0R THER SIMILAR METALLIC ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,472, dated February 22, 189B.

Application filed July 25,1895. Serial No. 557,156. (No model.) Patented in Sweden January 26, 1895, No. 6,6275'in Ger many June 10,1895, No. 84,788; in England J'nne 10,1895, No.11,346;inIE'ranceJune 10, 1895,1I0. 248,057; in Austria Jnne.11,1895,No. l/2,522; in Hung-ary JuneZO, 1895,1Io. 3,057; in Belgium July 29,1895, No. 116,745, and in Italy September 80, 1895, XXX, 39,453, LXXIVII, 252.

ro r etters Patent have been granted for this e "tion as follows: in Sweden, dated January 2:6, 1895, No. 6,627; in Germany, dated June 10, 1895, No. 84,788; in Austria, dated June iL-lise, No. i5/2,522, in Hungary,

'-15 dated June 20, 1895, No. 3,057; in Great Britain, dated June 10,'A 1895, No. 11,346; in Franca dated Juno 10, 1895, No. 248,057; in Belgium, dated July 29, 1895, No. 116,745, and

in Italy, Volu30, No. 39,463, and Vol. 77, No. zo 252, dated September 30, 1895.

The object of this invention is to subject tubular pieces of steel or other malleable metal intended for guns, hollow shafts, and similar articlesrtodinternal pressure for the z5 purpose of m'olding`the same to shape and tempering the metal.

In carrying outthis invention the pieces to be operated upon, if not cast or lnade hollow, are bored through, but in such manner asvto 3o make the bore of less diameter than it should have in the final product. A projectile of hard but not brittle steel of a larger diameter than said bore' shot from a gun at great velocity is directed so as to pass accurately sighted through the aforesaid bore, which it widens by compressing and expanding the metal. Said projectile should be conical in front and widening so graduallyrearward as `t 'a'voidooviolenttctiom and the pieceto 4o be treated should of course be solidly fixed.

Said operation may be effected either when the aforesaid hollow pieces are heated to redness or to an appropriate heat for softening l the metal, or at the ordinary temperature, or at any temperature which the metal operated on is best suited for aforesaid'treatment. If 'said operation is performed at, say,.dull redness, the metal is generally so soft as to permit of considerable widening of the bore even with one single shot; but in order to avoid too violent strain the operation may be repeated with projectiles of grad ually-increased diameter. After sufficiently enlarging the bore by the aforesaid treatment while the metal is at, say, a dull-red heat the hollow metal may conveniently be subjected once or more to the same treatment at the ordinary temperature. In the latter case the strain is much greater than at dull redness, and consequently the diameter of the projectile should be little in excess of the diameter of the bore. Since the dimensions of pieces greatly vary, it must be left to practice to establish for each case the best lnanipulation; but to give an idea of the forces which come into play and the results to be attained it may be mentioned that a gun-bore of Iifty-seven millimeters diameter could be enlarged three-fourths of Aa millimeter by a single shot, themetal being at the ordinary temperature. The metal canv be subjected to the aforesaid treatment at red heat,or at the ordinary temperature, or at both temperatures. This operation made at the ordinary temperature serves in a great measurc the same purpose as tempering steel and greatly enhances the tensile strength of the metal. Pieces of steel if tempered and annealed so as to preserve suficient ductility can be rendered still more resisting by being subjected at the ordinary temperature to the aforesaid treatment.

A gun can be rifled by shooting through its smooth bore a riled projectile of proper di'- ameter, so as to' form an lextended grooved counterpart of the riding of the projectile.

The aforesaid operation of widening the bore isA conveniently made with projectiles .shot-from smonth-.horegunsat greatmloitn but it can also be eiected by projectiles fired from riiled guns.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section illustrative of the present invention, and Fig. 2 shows the projectile in a larger size.

A is a gun of any suitable construction, and B the tube which is to be operated upon and which is suitably supporte C and D are hoopsrwhich are placed in anyl convenient manner and connectedtogether' Lic FIO

junction'between A'and B may be placed a rsleeve or muff, so that their ends may be maintained in thefadjusted position with respect to the axial lines. During the operation it is evident that each succeeding projectile used for the interior forging of a tube should be of larger diameter than the preceding one, which would necessitate the use of a plurality of guns of different interior diameters; but in order to avoid the use of diiferent guus for the forging of one tube'only one gestoen-n appropriate interior diameter'is preferably employed and the projectiles a inserted into a suitable shot-bottomV or sabot b, of which all are of corresponding exterior diameter to iit the gun and of different interior diameter to iit the diferent projectiles to be used.

,c is a tightening-disk adapted to take up.

Ithe pressure of the explosivegases and to Lft prevent leakage of the same.` v f y By this device the sameV gunmay be used to tire a series of projectiles of different diameters. When such a projectile is fired, the fore end of the sabot strikes against the rear end of the tube, the projectile separates from the sabot and passes through the tube to perform its Work, and the sabot, with parts be-v longing thereto, is broken to pieces.l it is evident that the rear end of the tube operated uponneed not bein close contact with the fore end of the gun from which the projectile is fired, although it is easier to accurately adjust the close to the gun than when farther away.

claim as my inventionl. The combination with a breech-loading cannoli and a projectile to be fired therefrom,

of means for rigidlyl connecting at the front 4o ticle iii aiighlylhated (mnditioii and' with the bore slightly smaller than that of the e smallest projectile whereby such tubular article will be enlargedjand smoothed upon the interior surface by ring'through the same the projectiles commencing with the smallest, and the sabots will be broken and pass v out in pieces, substantially as set forth.

3'. The combination with a breecheloadiug cannon and a projectile to beflred therefrom, of tie-rods and rings extending from the cannon to a tubular article forysupporting the a sleeve at the junction of the cannon and the rear end of thetube, whereby the tube -will be forged andsmoothed on its interior surface by the rapid passing through it of the projectile, and the sleeve Will confine the gases more or less, substantially as set forth. y ln witness whereof I have hereunto signed same in front of and in line with the cannoli,

my name in the presence of two subscribing' witnesses.

` ALFRED NOBEL.

Witnesses:

CARL'TH. SUNDHoLM, ERNST SVANQWST. 

